Driving to a client meeting in 2003, Kate Nazar, then age 30, felt shooting pains up her spine and pulled to the side of the road, stepped out of the car and collapsed. Hours later, after emergency surgery, she learned the episode — and the months of missing menstrual cycle before it — were symptoms […]
Financial stress is an ever-present concern for many employees — among women, it’s even more pronounced. A survey by the Financial Resilience Institute found almost two-thirds (72 per cent) of women said money worries cause them emotional stress, eight percentage points higher than men, while 71 per cent of Canadian women are stressed about not […]
Workplace financial advice has evolved significantly over the past 15 years, moving from in-plan investment advice to more broad financial planning, said Marc-Antoine Morin, assistant vice-president of group retirement at Manulife, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2026 Defined Contribution Plan Summit. He traced the evolution to the rise of three factors: target-date funds, which […]
As generation Z’s behaviours, motivators and stressors evolve in real time, a joint research project from Canada Life and Deloitte Canada is aiming to help bridge the gap between prudent financial planning and the generation’s legitimate concerns around long-term systemic risks. Speaking during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2026 Defined Contribution Plan Summit, Kate Nazar […]
While more than half (52 per cent) of workplace savings plan members count on the plan as their main source of retirement income, both men (16 per cent) and women (12 per cent) overstated their account balances, according to Sun Life’s latest survey of 1,900 plan members. Sharing the survey results at Benefits Canada’s 2026 […]
For defined contribution plan members, the ultimate positive DC experience is understanding the plan provisions, knowing what decisions to make, feeling confident about making well-informed choices and arriving at a prosperous retirement, said Barbara Sanders, associate professor of statistics and actuarial science at Simon Fraser University, during a keynote session at Benefits Canada‘s 2026 DC […]
More than half (56 per cent) of plan members say email is the most effective way to communicate with them about their savings plans, according to Benefits Canada’s 2026 Employee Savings Survey. The survey, which polled 500 Canadian plan members, found traditional mail (18 per cent) was a distant second preferred communications tool, followed by […]
While the percentage of plan members who describe their personal financial situation as significantly or somewhat better than last year decreased from 42 per cent in 2025 to 34 per cent, the percentage that describe it as significantly worse or somewhat worse has also dropped, from 26 per cent last year to 22 per cent, […]
Half (50 per cent) of Canadian employers are now offering financial planning services and 42 per cent are providing financial literacy resources, according to a new report by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. This is a significant increase from 2024, notes Pat Leo, vice-president of Toronto retirement at Gallagher. “With carriers in Canada now offering some […]
Nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) Canadians fear they’ll outlive their retirement savings, according to a new survey by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. It found more than half (52 per cent) of non-retirees with a financial plan said it gives them confidence their money would last, making planning the top driver of […]